Time-setting device



July 1, 1941. c. LURTZ TIME-SETTING DEVICE Filed Oct. 20, i957 FIG. 2

FIG. I

FIG. 4

FIG. 3

INVENTOR Patented July 1, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TIME-SETTING DEVICE Carl Lurtz, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application October 20, 1337, Serial No. 183,943

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to clocks, and more particularly to an improvement in timesetting devices for the operation of an alarm mechanism or the like.

Alarm clocks of conventional construction usually embody one hand with the alarm setting device which hand is movable over a 12-hour dial, serving to indicate the predetermined time of operation of the alarm mechanism. On such a dial, the marks denoting sub-graduations of the hourperiods are very close together so that it is extremely difficult to set the alarm to operate at the exact time desired. Obviously, the smaller the clock the greater becomes this disadvantage.

An important object of the present invention is to provide mechanism of such construction as to enable time-setting of an alarm in a clock to be done with great ease and absolute accuracy.

A general object is to provide a second setting hand serving to indicate the minute periods on I the clock dial, and means to cause both hands for the alarm to move at a diiferent speed ratio relative to one another when manually operated, enabling one hand to indicate the selected hourperiod on a dial and the other hand the minutes thereof,

Further objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Fig. 1 is a rear view in elevation, showing the frame of a clock with the added gearing of the present invention, enabling manual setting of the two hands for the alarm mechanism. view of a clock frame, exhibiting the two pairs of hands of the clock and also the alarm release mechanism of a usual construction. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View of Figures 1 and 2, taken on lines I! and 2-4. Fig. 4 is a dial of a clock showing arrangement of the hands.

The novel time setting device featured in this invention may be incorporated in a clock of the usual or any preferred construction, either mechanically or electrically driven.

Between the front plate 3 and the rear plate 4 is mounted the center gear 5 frictionally held to the center arbor 6 which carries the minute hand "I.

In front of the plate 3 is shown the usual gearing for driving the hour-hand 8 by means of the intermediary gear 8; the pinion I9 fixed to the latter also serves to drive the alarm release gear l l which is slidably mounted on the setting shaft I2 so as to permit the flexing of the spring I3 1 Fig. 2 is a front with cooperation of the slanted cut M, on the drum I5, and the detent member I6 rigidly se cured to the setting shaft I2. Operation and construction of these particular parts are well known in the art and are therefore described only very briefly.

When the spring I3 is held depressed by the gear II it prevents vibration of the bell clapper II, but at the instant the drum I5 with its outcut I4 is brought in alinement with the detent member I6, the gear II slides outwardly on the shaft I2, effected by the pressure of the spring I3, thus releasing the bell clapper to sound'the alarm.

As usual, the setting shaft 2 is here shown held frictionally to the rear plate 4 so that the said shaft remains stationary while the clockdriven gear I I moves and also enabling the shaft I2 to be manually turned for predetermining the operation of the alarm by changing the relative circular position of the outcut I4 and the detent member I6.

To the front end of the shaft I2 is mounted the small hand l8 disposed in front of the small dial I9, this hand serving to indicate the particular hour when the alarm will automatically be released for operation by the clock mechanism. Now, in order to enable the reading of the minutes of any hour selected for predetermining the alarm operation, there is provided a second setting hand 20 which, when the device is manually operated, revolves at a speed ratio of 12 to 1 with the small setting hand I8. This ratio is effected with additional gearing shown mounted on the outside of the rear plate 4. The gear 2| is fixed to the setting shaft I2 and meshes with a pinion 22 integrally rotating with the gear 23 which is journalled on a stationary pin 24. The gear 23 meshes with the pinion 25 which is fixed to the shaft 26 revolubly mounted in an axial bore of the center arbor 6 from which the said shaft extends at the front end Where it carries the setting hand 20.

Manipulating knobs 21 may be provided as is convenient, either to the rear end of the setting shaft I2 or to both rear and front end of the shaft 26, as indicated in Fig. 3. The shaft 28 with the pinion Z9 serve for setting the clock hands I and 8.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that for each complete revolution of the setting hand 20, the small setting hand I8 advances a distance over the small dial I9 equal to a spacing of one hour and as the setting hand '20 serves to indicate the minute intervals of an hour it is made possible with the present invention to easily set the alarm to ring exactly at the selected minute and hour of the day, thus rendering a clock, embodying this novel feature, serviceable for a large variety of purposes.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In an apparatus embodying exhibiting means, a setting device, co-operative with said exhibiting means, whereby the particular operation for which the apparatus is adapted may be determined; a hollow shaft constituting one of the operating parts of the apparatus, a first setting shaft, for the setting device, lying within the hollow shaft; indicia for said setting device, an indicator carried by said first setting shaft in front of said indicia, another indicator carried by the hollow shaft in rear of the indicator of the first setting shaft, a second setting shaft having an indicator, and driving connection between the first and the second setting shaft adapted to cause both last named shafts to turn at different speed rates when either one of these two shafts is manually operated.

2. In a timing device including exhibiting means for indicating the time, a variably settable operating device controlled by the timing device, means operable by the operating device; a setting device for the operating device including more than one exhibiting means conjointly movable to various positions at different speed rates, for predetermining the time when the said time-controlled operating device is to operate; said setting device comprising a shaft extending with one end centrally beyond the front of said timeindicating exhibiting means, and a manipulating member attached at this end to the shaft.

3. In a timing device embodying exhibiting means for indicating the time, a tubuliform timedriven shaft comprised in said timing device, a normally stationary time-setting shaft lying in said tubuliform shaft, gears of different speed rates driven by the time-setting shaft, multiple exhibiting means interconnected with the last named shaft and the gears, affording reading of different lengths of time periods, an operating device controlled in its action with co-operation of the gears last mentioned, and an adiunctive device including means for effecting operativeness or inoperativeness thereof with co-operation of said operating device; said adjunctive device being adapted to perform a function at a definite time predeterminable with aid of said multiple exhibiting means.

4. In an apparatus embodying exhibiting means, a setting device co-operative with said exhibiting means, whereby the particular operation for which the apparatus is adapted may be determined; a hollow shaft constituting one of the operating parts of the apparatus, a first setting shaft for the setting device, lying within the hollow shaft; indicia for said setting device, an indicator carried by said first setting shaft in front of said indicia, a second setting shaft having an indicator, and driving connection between the first and the second setting shaft adapted to cause both last named shafts to turn at different speed rates when either one of these two shafts is manually operated.

CARL LURTZ. 

